Hays brings sunshine to the high street A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
A friend of mine, not connected to travel in any way, asked me out of the blue this week: “Do you know John and Irene Hays?” She had seen them on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, being interviewed about buying the licence to occupy 555 Thomas Cook stores around the UK, and she was almost starstruck when I said I’d known the couple for more than 20 years. Dubbed the “heroes of the high street” for resurrecting closed agencies and re-employing thousands of staff, the pair brought a real feelgood factor to our TV screens and made Hays Travel not just a household name with my friend – but most of the UK. Of course, Hays is unlikely to end up with the leases for all 555 stores, as some landlords may decide to rent their units to other retailers.
And it was great to see Midcounties and Barrhead among others not giving up after effectively
being gazumped by the Hays Travel deal. Instead, it spurred both to reiterate their own expansion plans, which they are still hoping to accelerate by snapping up some key Cook leases. Regardless of how they get there, one thing is clear. Travel on the high street is alive and kicking...a trend that flies in the face of a statement made at the Web In Travel conference in Singapore this week. The boss of an Indian OTA predicted that “travel will become completely touchless by 2029 with no human intervention in the booking process”. That’s a pretty bold prediction given the week we’ve just seen.
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OEnjoyed a fun Mexican dinner with Carnival Cruise Line’s Adolfo Perez and Iain Baillie
OHad an interesting catch-up with the boss of a big travel homeworking firm, talking about its plans for the coming 12 months
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group 17 OCTOBER 2019 ISSUE 2,497
TRAVELWEEKLY.CO.UK CONTENTS NEWS
Hays’ Cook deal is vote for high street 4 Fankhauser faces MPs over failure
‘High street heroes’ 8
Hays Travel hailed for surprise takeover of all 555 former Thomas Cook stores Inside: John & Irene Hays interview, plus staff jobs joy
of the BEST
faces mPs Abta 2019 fankhauser Six-page report from
Family-friendly properties from budget to luxury
WIN
One of 20 places on a Bahamas fam trip
FRONT COVER
John and Irene Hays with former Thomas
Cook-turned-Hays Travel agents Nicola Callaghan (left) and Gemma
Critchlow, outside the first Cook shop to be
rebranded Hays Travel page 4
5
Ex-Cook bosses targeted; Very Holidays 6 Domestic specialists fill Super Break gap 8
Agents learn about Viking’s new ships 10 travel convention 2019
Thomas Cook,Freedom, Atol Certificate 12 Brexit, Travelopia, sustainability Abta Holiday Habits Report
THE INTERVIEW
14 16
John and Irene Hays on Cook deal 18 Comment Gemma Antrobus: Back to the floor 22
NEWS YOU CAN USE Product
Grand American, BA, Prestige, Kuoni 27 Operator
Regent, Exodus, Shearings, Explore
Premier, Acacia Africa, Back-Roads 28 Cruise
P&O Cruises, Riviera Travel, Saga, Windstar, Victory, Hebridean
FOLLOW US:
travelweekly.co.uk @travelweekly 32
OAllowed my roller- brandishing daughter to paint the walls of her bedroom a different colour as one of her Year 6 home-learning challenges
FRONTLINE Get Social
Hays buys Cook shops, Gold Medal 37 Agent diary
Colin: Youngsters aren’t snowflakes 40 A day with...
Polka Dot Travel’s Hanley store
Mystery Shopper Kettering set US parks challenge
DESTINATIONS family holidays
Rooms and Suites: 8 of the Best Active & Adventure
Efteling: Q&A with Sander de Bruijn 53 Christmas with Kids: festive ideas Venice: Interrailing with two kids
46 55
61
Grown-up Getaways: Adult retreats 62 Central America: Costa Rica/Panama 69 Western Uganda: Best national parks 74
BUSINESS NEWS
EasyJet Holidays’ Garry Wilson sets out agent strategy ahead of relaunch 78 Trade advice for a no-deal Brexit
80 travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 17 OCTOBER 2019 3
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